Fandango: Evaluating the Recent Success of the Superstar and Lasting Effect

WrestleMania 29 has come and gone, and yet even now, five days removed from the biggest event in all of sports entertainment, the impact of the shows of all shows is still felt.

Yes, CM Punk's match again the Undertaker is one that fans will be talking about for years to come, and Cena's victory against the Rock will have a great impact on how the main event scene of the WWE will look in the coming months, but if there had to be one superstar who most benefited from the buzz that WrestleMania generates it would have to be the newly repackaged Fandango.

Like many pro-wrestling fans, my past week has been filled with "Faaaaaaandaaaaaaango" chants and ever omnipresent humming of Fandangon's theme song. Unlike most pro-wrestling fans (at least those in the United States, the flagship country of the WWE) find myself over 5,000 miles away from the New York/New Jersey area, where the so-called "Fandango Revolution" first began.

Currently residing in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, I find myself in an environment where Messi's name and River Plate and Boca Juniors chants are more likely to suddenly erupt, and yet even here in the land where futbol rules, Fandango's name is still chanted.

I had know about Fandango (previously known as Johnny Curtis, during his NXT days) before I arrived in Buenos Aires, but my connection to him (and the world of sports entertainment) was lost the moment I arrived in the city. Truthfully, I have yet to see any WWE programming during my stay in Argentina (and thus have not seen Fandango in action), but I have heard people talking about Fandango—and in this fact I find the key to Fandango's recent success.

Like the Gangham Style song (and dance) and cute pictures of cats on the Internet, Fandango, Fandangoing (the appropriate name for dancing to Fandango's theme music), and the "Fandango Revolution" have become viral phenomenons.

The question now is, how long will this success last? Without a doubt, WWE executives are trying to capitalize on Fandango's popularity, but can they do so without burning the proverbial candle at both ends?

Let us examine the funky case of Brodus Clay, similar to Fandango, early last year. Clay had children (and grown men alike) dancing and singing, but in only a few months the Funkasaurus' cool vibe became extinct. Now, the once top midcard act regularly finds himself of WWE Superstars. Can Fandango escape this fate?

If Brodus Clay, and many others before him, have taught wrestling fans anything it's that heavy dependence on a gimmick is a bad thing—wrestlers, like the world around them, need to be constantly changing.

If the WWE wants the Fandango to exist as a long-time performer, his character will without a doubt soon have to change, but for the time being, let us all enjoy the "Fandango Revolution", lock arms and sing "DA-DA-DA" for as long as we can.

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